User Reviews

As the only name we American viewers will recognize in the cast, Charlton Heston does very well in the lead role of John Thornton rugged prospector in the Klondike Gold Rush. There are two leads of course, the other being Buck the lead sled dog that Heston puts more store in than most people.

It's not a misanthropic position by any means. As anyone who lives in the frozen north on any continent, a good sled dog is still the best transportation around. One that is loyal and smart like Buck is worth more than the gold he might carry out of a strike.

The only other version I saw of this story is the one that starred Clark Gable and Loretta Young in the Thirties, That one took considerable liberties with the story. This version is faithful to Jack London's novella which came out when folks were still panning for gold in this area in 1902.

You'll not know any other names from the cast except possibly French actress Michele Mercier who plays a saloon owner in Dawson City and who would like Heston to settle down with her. But The Call Of The Wild is as strong in him as it is in Buck The Dog who discovers his second cousin the wolf and yearns for their open existence. Though the dog develops an affection for his human the same way Heston has for the dog.

Heston is rugged and fine in the lead role. The non-recognition of the other players works out because it lends an air of authenticity to the film. Ken Annakin's direction is on target and the location cinematography done in the Lapland country of Norway and Finland is magnificent.

Heston wasn't crazy about the film, I imagine it was one rugged location shoot for him. Still his fans should like it and I can tell you he's done worse films than The Call Of The Wild.

***SPOILERS*** At the beginning of the movie we see this handsome and powerful German Shepherd leading a wolf pack as they run down and kill a caribou for their supper. Later looking under the icy river the dog sees his master frozen to death beneath it; The dog's name is Buck the master is John Thornton, Charlton Heston.

The story of Buck and how he became the leader of a wolf pack in the Yukon territory starts some time back in the sunny climate of Santa Clara Calif. It's 1897 and gold was discovered around the Klondike River in the Yukon and Alaskan territory's up north and dogs like Buck were worth their weight in gold as sled dogs in that country's deep snows and freezing weather. Dognaped by Judge Miller's, Alfredo Mayo, gardener Manuel for a price of $75.00 Buck was well on his way from being a sweet and loving pet to becoming a strong and ferocious wild animal.

Beaten and broken for weeks by a number of different owners of sled-dog teams Buck was almost dead when he was bought and put into the service of John Thorrnton and his partner Pete's, Ralmund Harmstorf, dog team. With John & Pete's kind and tender handling of him Buck became the lead sled dog and the most powerful and at the same time feared dog in the Yukon territory. Buck led the dog team in covering the treacherous 600 mile journey from Skaguay to Dawson as the lead sled-dog for John & Pete in record time when no other dog team and it's owners would dare to try it.

In the movie Buck is stolen a number of times from John, and was once almost shot and killed by the local bootlegger, but Buck always managed to escape and return home to John & Pete. It's later that the dog begins to yarn for his home in the wild. The reason Buck didn't go back to the woods, where he developed a strong friendship with the local Timber Wolves in the area, was his love for and loyalty to the persons who saved his life John & Pete.

Torn between his two kind and caring human masters and his wolf family Buck can't quite bring himself to break away from civilization to live in the wild. Later one night a band of local Indians attack the cabin where both John & Pete were staying in and ended up killing both of them. Buck and his wolf pack tried to come to their rescue but were too late to save them as we saw in the beginning of the movie.

With the two persons who Buck had a mutual bond with now gone Buck can now return to his distant descendants, the wild wolves, in the dark and cold woods of the Klondike. Buck, in th end, ended up answering to something that he understood and that was ingrained in his consciousness from the thousands of generations of canines over millions of years that he eventually evolved from: The Call of the Wild.

Charlton Heston as John plays a prospector along with Raimund Harmstorf . They are at the right time and in the right location to live numerous adventures . The picture chronicles the ¨Gold Rush¨ days of Alaska from Klondike territory and in the Dawson City center . Heston finds and befriends a German shepherd dog called ¨Buck¨ which saves and protects to John and his partner . The dog rescues them from dangers and leads throughout snowy landscapes . But Buck is robbed and is taken by various masters , being forced to pull a snow sled.

The movie is based on Jack London novel -in part autobiographic but in his real life was prospector- , narrating the story about the gold discovery , people came to find the precious mineral through the freeze ways and corruption , violence and ambition that came with them . Authentic stars film are the animals as there appear : Huskys , pack of wolves and of course the magnificent German shepherd named Buck . The best of the movie are the marvelous , spectacular snowy outdoors , being stunningly photographed by John Cabrera in places as Finland , Norway and Spain . Atmospheric , evocative score by the Italian composer Carlo Rustichelli . The picture is one of various renditions based on Jack London novels along with ¨ The White Fang ¨ , creating the sub-genre about the Alaska adventures . The film is a European co-production by Harry Alan Towers with actors of several nations ( German as Raimund Harmstorf ; French as Michele Mercier ; English as Maria Rohm ; Spanish as Juan Luis Galiardo , Sancho Gracia and Italian as George Eastman or Luigi Montefiori). Charlton Heston said about this one resulted to be his worst film but I think is entertaining and watchable although mediocre for its poor direction and weak plot which hamper this familiar story .

This is definitely a European-style film from the period, the 70s. Everything about it speaks loudly with the European influence, the music, the cinematography, the editing. It's much like what you'd see in countless Euro horror films from the time, but this time it's a dramatic and rather realistic take on the old American classic. When seen, it doesn't take much to imagine the shooting conditions, and how did they all, cast and crew, put up with the misery of the terrible cold and snow? Heston isn't miscast here like some say, he's just very much different from what might be expected, but he does an admirable job. Some of his best film work was during this time, not the studio blockbusters he was known for prior to this. It is good that the story doesn't opt for the Hollywood "happy ending" but, without spoiling it for those who haven't seen this, it is a much more realistic ending.

This is a great classic movie with excellent story, top notch leading actor and startling scenery. Its very good quality color, considering it was made so long ago. I'd love to see it digitally restored. The opening scene shows a big herd of caribou! The mountains and wilderness is just gorgeous. It draws you into the adventure of pushing through wild lands, deadly climate, and dangerous people living on the edge. Some are there for gold, others to make money off of people looking for gold. This German sheperd goes from a pampered house, to the brutality and beauty of Alaska. He faces lots of exciting challenges and over comes them all. If you're looking for special effects, and digital 'show', this isn't it. This movie was made when genuine STORY and script mattered! The special effects in this movie, are all nature's wonders. It must have been marvelous on a big screen. If you like Jeremiah Johnson, you'll love this.

How I purchase the brandy new version Harrison Ford's The Call of the Wild, I've decided revisit this old version to make a collating before watch the newest Blu-Ray version, Chuck Heston as my favorite actor ever had 48 years old, the movie was an European production, shot on location on Spain and Norway, bringing a fine casting as the sexy Michelle Mercier, sadly the stigmatized Spaghetti actor George Eastman who brought his character together and Rik Bataglia as well to assemble the story, the movie itself was very faithful on Jack London's novel, there are many bold sequences of extreme hardship on those rugged frozen mountains, also a trustworthy crowed gathered at Klondike and Dawson City at Gold Rush's era, all sort of people, all them dreaming becoming rich overnight, crooks, prostitutes, suppliers of goods and tools, booze's sellers, whatever we can imagine were there, The Dog Buck is the highlight, however when he finds a female wolf to mate and afterwards seeing the poppies is a breathtaking vision, the low points certainly were the music score and George Eastman, overall an average production, the DVD needs a upmost restoration!!

Resume:

First watch: 1996 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7

I'm only in the 8th grade and watched this movie in class after analyzing the actual book. The movie was not bad, but could be done better. None of the dogs matched the description in the book, and the characters were awfully mismatched. "Who is Calliope!?!" was a question many of my classmates asked themselves. The plot events were put and moved around much like a scrapbook. BTW, Call of the Wild is not a children's book!! It is actually a book with dark themes, much like most of his other books. If you don't know how to read and comprehend classic literature, I suggest you go back to reading a true children's book: The Cat in the Hat.

Well, this is a typical 1970's-era film, with lots of suspicious animal action which makes you feel glad that films today are shot under the auspices of the ASPCA and the Humane Society. Shot under horrifyingly rough conditions, with Norway standing in for the Yukon, the film takes few liberties with Jack London's classic novel, but the bizarre casting of Charlton Heston as John Thornton makes the viewer want to scratch their head. Jaggedly edited and with a greater budget for snow than special effects, the viewer is implored to suspend belief as animal after animal is torn apart and shown drenched with fake blood, looking bewildered. Obviously, as befitting a movie of this era, the hordes of unwashed gold prospectors are as grungy a bunch as ever filmed, but the few women who surface are as impeccably dressed and made up as any model in a Vanity Fair shoot. Lots of bad sound and snow on the lens, but a nice job at portraying one man and one dog who love one another fiercely. Peculiar film, lots of cute dogs, lots of atrocious acting, and lots and lots and lots of snow.

During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897, two mail dispatchers travel by dog sled from Skagway, on the coast of southeast Alaska, to Dawson City over 400 miles north in the Yukon. One of the sled dogs, Buck, is fresh from California with no experience in snowy weather. Thorton (Heston) unwisely makes an enemy of the town mogul (George Eastman) while getting friendly with a beautiful saloon proprietor (Michèle Mercier).

"The Call of the Wild" (1972) is a surprisingly good wilderness adventure with spectacular locations that could pass for a Western in the mold of "North to Alaska" (1960), albeit minus the slapstick humor. The later "North Star" (1996) and "The Claim" (2000) also come to mind, as does "The Mountain Men" (1980) due to Heston in the lead role and the wintery Western milieu. The fact that the film includes a dog as one of the protagonists brings to mind eye-rolling Disney flicks, but this isn't Disney-fied at all. I should point out that Buck here is a German Shepherd whereas in the book he's a St. Bernard-Scotch Shepherd mix.

The runtime is just over 1 hour, 40 minutes. Beware of versions available on streaming (e.g. Tubi and Plex) that cut a full half hour in the last act. I'm talking about the sequences involving Thorton fraternizing with Calliope at the saloon and in a Western-styled bathtub, as well as the sequences of Pete (Raimund Harmstorf) looking for gold with his half-breed guide (Juan Luis Galiardo). There's currently a great HD version available for free on Youtube (the full version).

Michèle Mercier is stunning on the female front as redhead Calliope while Maria Rohm is lovely as blonde Mercedes.

Heston lamented "The Call of the Wild" as his worst film, but he was objecting more to the difficulties involved in making the flick and the Euro politics thereof, rather than the movie itself; that is, the final product. For instance, the production team had to import sled dogs since there (curiously) weren't any in Norway and Heston had to learn the arcane art of dog sledding on the spot wherein the dogs would either run or fight each other.

As far as the "Euro politics" go, this was a joint British, Norwegian, German, French, Spanish and Italian production (so expect a lot of dubbing à la Spaghetti Westerns). This forced the rogue Brit producer to hire at least two key participants from each country to facilitate distribution in Europe. Heston called the cast/crew an assemblage gathered by political committee rather than ability, a "United Nations" production. It didn't help that Spaniard Juan Luis Galiardo (Seze) was lonely and depressed on set, which was augmented by the fact that he couldn't speak English or the languages of the other members.

The film was shot primarily in Norway, but also Lapland, Finland, with studio stuff done in Spain.

GRADE: B.

I don't know about other people, although looking at the score this website has given this film I can only ponder, but when it comes to international team work in making a film, I often love the results. In fact, I loved this movie and thought it was extraordinary. Oh and the emotion, it blew me away. 'Call Of The Wild' is a very emotional story of a German Sheppard's forced journey from 19th Century California to the Goldrush of the Alaskan wilderness and the meeting with its new owner with which it becomes closer to than with anyone or anything else. A very simple story indeed, but the legendary Jack London knew how to tell a great high adventure tale on an epic scale and he obviously fancied dogs very much as is shown with his minute details about his subjects. I believe that Ken Annakin (the director of this film) realized London's vision to perfection and translated it brilliantly to the screen.

The sheer realism that Jack London told his stories with takes you to another world and it takes your breath away with their uplifting finales. Ken Annakin had done a wonderful job with directing "Call Of The Wild". The dog in the film is an actor itself as it plays such an integral part of the film. Not even half way into it, it is almost certain that you will fall in love with the dog. Its emotions and gestures are all natural, and it's easy to relate to the dog's journey. Five minutes into the film, I was hooked. The dog had such a commanding presence that not even Charlton Heston could get in its way. And then there is Charlton Heston, a man of such phenomenal, legendary influence on film history. Yet even with his power, fame and success he is one of the few actors in the world who's fame doesn't distract from the film. It's his strong presence and every-man, human and subtle performances that set him apart from many actors on the same level of fame. He is always the same 'Chuck', but he is more like we are and that's why we loved his films so much. So, when you see him inevitably getting closer and attached to the dog, it feels so convincing and real, it drains you of all emotions.

Call me crazy, but when the credits at the end were rolling I felt like crying. Here you are, in the middle of god's nowhere in the heart of the Alaskan wilderness; two mammals - a dog and a man - who have no families and nothing to come home to find one another and become the closest, most reliant friends as it is a key player in their survival of the unforgiving hardships of the Goldrush and the wilderness in between them and the Gold. The scenes where 'Chuck' finds the dog after not seeing him for a long time are so uplifting and you can see the happiness and joy in Heston's eyes. However, nothing beats the finale when the dog and the man are departed for the last time in tragedy. It's so sad and it makes you think about how big their journey together was and how close they were to one another. Yet, the film still finishes on a positive note with the dog and his offspring symbolizing "life goes on".

What really set the mood for the film more than the harsh wilderness and the hardships that the two faced throughout, was the unusual, alienating music written and composed by Carlo Rustichelli, which at first seems out of place and very weird, but soon becomes the film's underlying haunting atmosphere and power. In a way, the music paints a picture of struggle and isolation better than anything I've ever heard in my life. By the end of the film, I didn't want anything else, it was perfect. And of course, the music wouldn't have been any good without the wonderful cinematography that gave a clear realization of how vast the landscape is.

Ken Annakin's "Call Of The Wild" is easily a worthy addition to the adventure lover's film collection. You will feel like you have been on an epic journey. It captures the importance of dogs in those times - for dogs were at times worth more than Gold as they were the only things that could get you around the deep snows of Alaska. Rarely have I seen such a realistic and graphically harsh portrayal of the Goldrush years and the men with their dogs and sleds that fought, searched and died for the Gold. And in the fore-front there is a most captivating story about love and friendship between two different species.

Adventure fans, go no further than this great escapist master work. Yes, there is wooden acting in some parts, but the core of the film doesn't fail one bit. The film is a definite product of the 70s and adds a lot of nostalgia, only adding to the atmosphere. I absolutely surrendered to the film's beauty and power and I can confidently call it a classic. They don't make em' like this anymore!

Call of the Wild, The (1972)

*** (out of 4)

A house dog is stolen from its owner and sold to a group of men who abuse him and eventually sell him as a sled dog. The sled owner (Charlton Heston) soon grows attached to the dog and we see their adventures in Alaska, which includes hunting for gold. This version of the famous story isn't as good as the 1935 version with Clark Gable and Loretta Young but this one does remain entertaining throughout. There are some major problems with the film that keeps it from being great but even through there are problems there's still a wonderfully touching movie here. What doesn't work is that the film really appears to have originally been three hours and then edited down to its 100-minute running time. I say this because there seems to be some rough editing and there are various parts of the film that seem rushed. This becomes rather annoying but the real star here is the dog. The dog used in the film does a remarkable job and really makes his role a real character and not just an animal doing tricks. Heston gives a pretty good performance and his actions with the dog are a lot of fun to watch but there are moments when the actor goes over the top and brings a few laughs, which certainly wasn't intended. Michele Mercier is good as Heston's lover and George Eastman makes for a great villain. The film was shot in Finland, which leads to some terrific visuals and the movie remains entertaining all the way through. The love story between Heston and his dog is beautifully captured but some should be warned that there are a lot of scenes of animal abuse, which will certainly bother some.

I just saw this movie - it was very hard to follow (and I had read the book), lots of gory dog fights with blood, language not suitable for kids, the dubbing was out of sync, the VHS quality was very grainy. Charlton Heston ("My dog doesn't like the way you smell")could not pull this version of Jack London's classic out of the cold - though his parts were done fine. The movie could have been shortened to improve the pace - there was too much time spent on snow scenes and characters gazing at each other. It is certainly not worth purchasing - I got it for free as a giveaway. The ending is confusing as if a scene were missing - Heston ends up under ice in a lake. Buck then romps off with the wolves. Bottom line - View another version of this classic story.

I saw this movie when I was about 11 years old. I didn't expect anything from it and was very happily surprised. Obviously low budget, this is offset by the authentic looking town, beautiful locations, Hestons great acting and Jack Londons timeless classic. It for me is one of my favorites, and I would recommend it to anyone. Even though the dialogue seems to be dubbed here and there I didn't have a problem with it. How Buck ends up in Alaska and is saved by Heston sets the tone for their unique friendship! Heston must decide which path to take, as Buck must decide as well! This is definitely a story of fate and of personal choices ending with a desperate and dramatic climax! I read some of the other reviews ans it seems most people don't like this film. I don't care, I was able to overlook the dubbing and the other flaws mentioned simply because this movie looks like the Yukon in the latter half of the 19th century. The story is touching and excuse me, but i like it. When you have Heston it makes up for a lot............

If you have read the book and are looking for that same story to unfold on the silver screen, keep looking. This is a very "60's" adaptation of a raw and emotionally powerful book. To say the acting is "wooden" is an understatement. Most of the "spaghetti westerns" had more believable characters than this movie.

In the book you journey with Buck from his ranch in California to his ultimate return to the wild. In the movie, Buck is little more than a supporting character with the focus entirely on the human side of the story.

I would suggest re-reading the book instead of watching this movie, you will get much more out of the experience. If you do watch the movie, set you expectations low and you won't be disappointed...too much.

If you're looking for a classic piece of literature transferred to film, and you see this 1972 "version" of Jack London's classic on the kiddies' shelf at the library (no self-respecting video store should stock this thing), move on. This is, quite simply, the most incompetent film I've ever seen.

I'm not sure if it's the wooden acting, the muddy dubbing, the pinking-shears editing, the outtake-quality colors, or the lack of any relationship between the plot in the book and the movie, but my only question for the people who made this Mystery Science Theatre 3000-grade garbage is, "Were you aware you were making cinematic doggy poo?"

After reading the book, my seventh-grade English class was very interested in seeing a film version of the book. It didn't take long for one of the more eloquent 13 year olds to ask, "Can Jack London's family sue the people who made this movie?"

I wanted to say, "Yes, a class action lawsuit!"

Because you don't see things through buck"s point of view much of the character development is missing. If you're looking for the best movie version though, this one would win

For a dog-lover, it is a moving and heart-touching story. For any other viewer, it is an old movie that features a bunch of sled dogs and Alaska. You really must read the book by Jack London before seeing the film. It follows the plot but it does confuse matters.

The dog stunts do look very real and do tend do worry you. Fortunatly, you are assured before the movie begins that no animals were harmed in the making of the film. It was good quality for the time period with well-trained animals and nice camera shots. The soundtrack could have been improved but works for the general atmosphere. I was also disappointed by Buck's appearance. He was a German Shepherd mix as described in the book but was presented as a Newfoundland in the film. Curly was also the wrong breed. None of this honestly mattered once the film got started.

It is no match for Disney's White Fang but Call of the Wild does come as its infamous partner.

There is no film version of any of Jack London's novels that follows the book meticulously, and that is perhaps more the merit of Jack London than of his film producers, his books inspiring to do something even better than the book, which they often succeed in, and this is the perfect example. Charlton Heston might be somewhat miscast, he didn't like the production himself, but he complied with the film team and agreed to expose himself to arduous physical trials and strains in the wilderness of Norway to at least make the best of it. The main desert of the film is not his part but the fantastic scenery, the marvelous direction capturing the wild mad pioneer spirit of the gold rush in Klondyke and Dawson, with more realistic results than Chaplin's "The Gold Rush", and the overwhelmingly beautiful music by Carlo Rustichelli, which covers the film in poetry. Yes, the story is much altered from London's, it is made more dramatic including some real ruffians and scoundrels, there is no lady in London's tale while here she is even French and quite relevant and convincing, and the question is: is this a film of humans or of dogs? I would say it's a story of friendship, both between humans, even more between humans and dogs but maybe especially between wolves and the dog. The film moves swiftly, many scenes could have been made more of, and much of the most important action is cut rather short. The circumstances could be blamed for that: Norway is even further north than Alaska and its winters longer, harsher, darker and more severe. The only thing lacking in the film is some northern lights.

By far the best dog movie ever made. Excellent acting, one of the best all time endings. To give this movie a bad review you would have to be a video game playing fool or never stepped foot in the northern woods. I've watched this movie several times with many people and anyone who saw it thought it was great. Set with a historical background into the Yukon it gives you a realistic understanding about dog sledding. Great background about Indian myths and panning for gold. The movie does have a low budget,however it does doesn't need special effects. It's one of the great American stories about a deep friendship between a man and his best friend. If you want non-stop action and special effects go watch the Terminator instead.

Several years ago, I rode the White Pass and Yukon Railway from Skagway, Alaska, to Carcross, Yukon, Canada. The 68-mile line through the Coast Range Mountains follows the first leg of the route taken by nearly 100,000 people who "rushed" to the gold fields of the Yukon, Klondike and Alaska. The great gold rush that goes by all three names began in 1896 and ended in 1899. Jack London's book, The Call of the Wild, came out in 1903, and was set mainly in that time and place. But his setting didn't have a railway or highways - which had not yet been built. The only way to Dawson City, the goal of the rushers, was overland on foot for most people, and by dog sled for the more fortunate.

Today, one can get a sense of the extreme difficulty and hardships of the gold seekers, by taking a trip on the narrow-gage railway that was begun in 1898 and completed in 1900. Although the gold rush ended abruptly, the railway and later Klondike Highway from Skagway remained the principal means of supplies for the Yukon Territory well past the mid-20th century. The railway today thrives mostly on tourist trade. The trip to Carcross is a popular shore excursion for cruise ships that sail to Alaska and stop at Skagway. Check the Internet for video segments on this rail trip.

I mention all of this because I think it adds to one's sense of the challenge and struggle of the people of that time. I remember reading London's book way back in high school (a few decades ago). While the dog, Buck, is the central hero of the book, the story was also much about the human travail of the gold rush.

This film does a good job of showing the human foibles, errors of judgment and lack of sense among people who caught the gold "fever." Of course, Buck and the other dogs and wolves, are a big part of the film. The scenery and sets are excellent. I can see how the film-makers used locales in Norway for scenes that look almost exactly like early newspaper photos of the gold rush.

The acting, cinematography and sets are all top drawer in "The Call of the Wild." The weakness in the film is in the script, direction and editing. And, I'm not sure yet, on the musical score. These aspects were choppy at times. Too often, we would have a sudden break in scenes, with no transition. Closer attention to these details could have made this an outstanding film. But for the story it tells from the book, and the scenery, sets and acting, I give it 8 stars. For its historical value and realism, "The Call of the Wild" ranks among a few very good films about hardships and struggles with nature. That was not the main plot London had in mind, but the film serves up that secondary plot very well.

If you ever take an Alaskan cruise that stops at Skagway, be sure to take the White Pass and Yukon Railway trip to Carcross. A barbecue lunch is at the Yukon end, and you return by bus on the Klondike Highway. It only operates during the summer months. It's a bit costly, but well worth it. This rail line is a major historical and engineering shrine today. Skagway also has a fine museum on the gold rush, and the U. S. National Park Service has a Yukon Gold Rush museum in downtown Seattle.

"The Indians in this frozen land tell of a ghost dog which runs at the head of a wolf pack. - They are afraid. For it has more strength than any wolf, more cunning than any dog. No one knows from whence he came or why he stays."

It is summer in California and Buck has it made as to the family pet. That is until it is discovered that he was worth his weight in gold or at least $75. He is sold to a broker who will take him to the Klondike where only dogs can do the work usually delegated to horses. There Buck goes through many lives, trials, and tribulations finally realizing his potential. On the way he learns many concepts from surprise to deceit, and cunning; he also learns loyalty, devotion, and love. As he is growing, he feels the call of the wild. And so do we.

Screen Play: Peter Welbeck Win Wells Peter Yeldham

True to the book, this film holds nothing back. All the highlights of the original story are portrayed, and Charlton Heston has the main character, John Thornton, down to a tree. And unlike some Disney versions, we see Buck's tribute and love for John.